A Lust for Trust
by Lord-Captain000
Summary: This series is centered around Sokkla and will involve pretty short chapters. The chapters themselves will have various themes, events, and settings that revolve around this pairing. Some chapters may be SFW while others will be NSFW, so the rating will be "M."
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter I: Anxiety**

Azula stared up fixated at the dark ceiling, sleepless. Although she was wrapped securely in Sokka's arms, she remained distant. The memories of her childhood were flooding back to her, one after another, reminding her of why she was so much closer – if you can call it that – to her father than she was to her mother. Some memories were fuzzy; however, other memories were so vivid they seemed like they happened only moments earlier.

" _I love you, Azula…"_

Azula replayed those words said by her mother so many times, and the memory still made her feel disgusted.

" _You do not know love, Mother,"_ even the word "mother" made her anxious.

" _What kind of mother abandons her children?!"_

Tears started to form in Azula's eyes – afraid of turning into her mother and being abandoned again.

Thankfully, Sokka was still sleeping. Azula loathed talking about her mother – she did not like the feeling of being vulnerable no matter how much she trusted Sokka with her darkest secrets.

A part of her still believes that complete trust is, in fact, for fools. Reasonably, loyalties do have the potential to waver and shift when danger is imminent or if the right incentive is promised. These underlying fears, therefore, are what makes her insecure in her relationship with Sokka.

Her head turned to the side, looking longingly at Sokka's peaceful expression as he was sleeping as if these were the last moments they were going to share together. "Please don't ever leave me, Sokka," she managed to plead desperately.

Sokka's hold on Azula was snug; yet Azula inched closer, pressing their bodies closer together. Azula's hands slithered around Sokka's waist, and she wrapped herself around him – clinging to his body.

" _He's going to leave you!"_

" _Who would fall in love with such an arrogant girl anyway?"_

" _You're a monster, remember?"_

" _There's something wrong with you!"_

" _No wonder your Mother left you. She thinks you're a monster!"_

" _He thinks you're a monster!"_

" _Don't trust him!"_

" _He'll leave you like all the rest!"_

" _Don't tell him anything!"_

" _Sokka will betray you!"_

The tears that formed in Azula's eyes evolved into cascading tears. Plagued by anxiety, Azula could not silence the inner critic mocking her every move.

" _You are a burden to him."_

" _He's just using you."_

" _You don't deserve him!"_

" _He never loved you!"_

Those thoughts only made Azula cling harder to Sokka, needing something to silence the voice nourishing her fears and strengthening them to become much stronger than they were before.

Waking up to feel a firm hold on his body, Sokka heard Azula whispering something indecipherable in between stifled sobs.

"Please don't leave…"

That is what Sokka finally managed to put together while Azula's head remained buried inside of his chest.

Sokka tightened his hold on Azula, holding onto her body the same way she was clinging onto his. "I'm not going to leave you, Azula. I'm staying right here." With a kiss on her forehead, Sokka effectively managed to silence the inner voice in Azula's head for the time being. "I love you, Azula…"

 **{Author's Note: It's a rare sight to actually see me post something, huh? I wanted to give something for people who suffer from anxiety and/or insecurities regarding relationships, especially, something to relate to; but I am in no way giving justice to the actual severity of these problems. I also appreciate any and all feedback given to me. If you think this story is complete garbage (it probably is), let me know. Thanks for sticking with me, guys! }**


	2. Chapter 2: Reunion

**Chapter II: Reunion**

"Ambassador, how long has it been?"

"About five years – give or take."

"You look much different, friend."

"I can say the same for you, _Fire Lord_." Sokka replied to Zuko almost as a joke.

"Regardless, it has been far too long. Where have you been for the past five years?"

"I have been traveling back and forth between the Northern Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, and Southern Water Tribe. I've been studying the architecture of the Northern Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom and helping to rebuild and design the Southern Water Tribe."

"Interesting. The Earth Kingdom, you say? So, you've seen my Uncle?"

"Ah, yes. Uncle Iroh spoke very highly of you. It seems your Uncle has compiled a list of women who would swoon to meet the legendary Fire Lord and be swept off their feet by his charms," Sokka replied sarcastically which caused Zuko to blush vehemently. It was good to see that some things about Zuko never changed.

"He's been coming every summer to the Fire Nation trying to get me married."

"Oh, I know. I have a Grandmother who has been itching to see great-grandchildren."

"Aren't you still with Suki?"

"No, we broke up two years ago. Both of us were busy handling our responsibilities, so we just grew apart," Sokka replied with a scratch to the back of his neck.

"Anyway," Sokka quickly changed the subject, "that's enough about me. Let's keep on talking on our way to the Palace."

Although Sokka primarily missed the food of the Fire Nation, the volatile weather was awful. Sokka naturally grew accustomed to the cold, arctic tundra of the Water Tribes and forgot what it felt to be both hot and humid in the Fire Nation. He spent time wondering how the Fire Nation people could withstand such conditions until realizing the Fire Nation probably thought the same when it came to the people of the Water Tribes. Regardless, Sokka was yearning for a shower. A long trip from the Earth Kingdom on sea wreaked havoc on his scent.

"Before I forget to tell you, Sokka, I am having the entire bathroom of the room you are staying in remodeled, so you will have to use the auxiliary bathhouse to take a shower. Enjoy the rest of your night," Zuko added before leaving quickly to deal with a problem addressed to him through his Royal Guard. Sokka, on the other hand, was all right with any accommodation – as long as he got to shower, nothing else mattered. It was late at night in the Fire Nation, and all Sokka needed was to change his clothes and sleep after another long day of traveling.

Azula was dreading the next few days Sokka was staying in the Fire Nation. She spent three years undergoing intensive rehabilitation and counseling for her problems. The next two years, Azula battled the feelings of shame and disgust with herself for supporting her father in the war. She never apologized to anyone she hurt except for Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee. Internally, she wanted to apologize to everyone she injured; however, she never took the opportunity because of the intensity of her shame. Resultantly, Azula feels worried about her subsequent apologies she must give to the Avatar team because of the potential backlash.

However, it was not only until a month ago that Azula learned she has to accept responsibility for her actions of what she did in the war that hindered or thwarted harmony among the people. After learning about Sokka's arrival to the Fire Nation, Azula had an internal turmoil of how to apologize. She nearly killed his sister, for example, with a shot of lightning; ergo, she was bound to encounter Sokka's wrath once they met.

Azula confined herself to her bedchamber for far too long. She needed to apologize to Sokka; and if he does not accept her apology, that is his problem, she reasoned. Azula is making the first steps to reconcile her past malicious deeds; furthermore, if she is treated with disrespect, so be it. Those she has negatively affected are well within their rights to be angry independent of the amount of time that has passed.

After his long awaited shower, Sokka was interrupted from climbing into the enticing Fire Nation bed. He imagined high thread count, alabaster bed sheets that smell like they have just been cleaned. Soft, fluffy pillows are caressing his head – all thoughts of luxury were stopped when there was a knock at his door. Sighing in exasperation, Sokka theorized cynically that his quest for sleep would never be accomplished.

He was clad in navy trousers; however, he was the Ambassador to the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka cannot answer the door dressed so inappropriately in relation to his title. Sokka managed to pull an obsidian colored shirt from his belongings and put it on. He opened the door, and there she was – the Princess of the Fire Nation outside of his room with a blank expression yet still confident. Her renowned smirk seemed lost, yet Azula's piercing golden irises analyzed Sokka.

"Azu – I mean – Princess Azula?" Sokka inquired, approximately implementing a threat assessment and strategizing how to incapacitate her. Sokka was taken aback. She aged into a fine young woman, and she grew taller. Azula's hair grew longer and remained perfectly in place without her crown.

"Good evening, Ambassador," Azula answered quickly with a bow, wary of Sokka's potential subsequent physical attack. Her heart was pounding inside of her chest. "I apologize for awakening you at this late hour. I see that you are exhausted from a long journey from the Earth Kingdom."

"I wanted to personally notify you that I am sincerely sorry for everything I did against you in the war," Azula added seriously, internally registering how fast her heart was beating inside of her chest. It was like an immense weight had been lifted from her shoulders after she self-deprecated herself for the past two years.

Those words seemed to perplex Sokka because he would have never thought Azula would still be alive. Zuko did not mention her at all during their travel back to the Fire Nation Palace, so Sokka assumed Azula may have committed suicide while she was still emotionally disturbed. It was bordering surreal seeing Azula look straight into his eyes and apologize. Sokka, for a few moments, remained speechless; he was registering what was happening at that exact moment.

The Princess of the Fire Nation who intended to kill everyone in the Avatar team and those who supported them. The Princess who managed to do marvelous acts that no human could compete with, yet those acts themselves facilitated a devious agenda. Of course, without a doubt, Sokka was angry with Azula for what she did. She nearly killed his sister with a bolt of lightning if it was not for Zuko saving her life. In fact, she even shot Aang when he was in the Avatar State. Sokka was there when the last hope of the world remained lifeless if it was not for his sister resurrecting his life with the Spirit Water from the Northern Water Tribe.

After a long pause and an exhale of breath, "I forgive you, Azula," Sokka replied never thinking he would say those words out loud. That formulation of words relatively sounded taboo.

Consequently, upon self-reflection when he was in the Earth Kingdom helping to reconstruct buildings damaged in the war, Sokka's anger towards Azula subsided. It was not time – only realization – that healed the wounds that Sokka endured at the hands of Azula; it was the fact that she was manipulated by her Father. His realization was when he was hammering down a nail onto wood, in fact. Sokka's objective was to erect the wooden skeleton of a building before the walls were to be made. He utilized a hammer and nails to force pieces of wood together to create the skeletal structure of the building. Ozai did the same thing. Ozai's objective was to burn the world to a crisp and reign over the charred ash as the Phoenix King; thus, he manipulated Azula to complete his objectives. Although Azula had the choice to betray her Father in the name of justice, Sokka realized that Azula was just a pawn in a much bigger game – like the hammer and nails.

Azula's eyes widened in disbelief. She was puzzled as to why Sokka would ever forgive her, much less even consider accepting her apology.

"F-Farewell," Azula replied, turning her heels and quickly walking away from Sokka's room. Her mind was going at the speed of light, and she was still confused. Her heart was drumming in her chest. Her brisk pace that nearly seemed like a run through the Palace hallways. Everything around her was moving so fast that Azula's mind remained like a blank slate except for the words Sokka used to express his forgiveness repeating in her mind.

Once Azula entered her bedchamber, she shut the door quickly. Her back turned against the door, Azula slid down, hugging her knees with her head bowed. Suddenly, she started to cry. After valiantly fighting her demons and rid herself of the darkness that plagued her heart, Sokka's forgiveness was holy. Three years of her life were spent recovering from the emotional turmoil at the hands of her parents. The next two years, Azula spent despising herself for everything she has done. There was so much blood on her hands that all the water in the world could not wash away, she thought. Azula thought she was falling into a never-ending pit of darkness that even her firebending could not illuminate and her screams were echoing through the walls. At the same time, Azula felt like she was drowning with her hands tied behind her back. Azula assumed she was never going to witness light again – like she was on a downward spiral. However, Azula was only in a tunnel. A road that ventured into the darkness that wounded her severely; but, luckily, there was light at the end of this tunnel. Azula's tears were of happiness because the bottomless pit of darkness she thought she was falling into was only a vessel to guide her into the light – the light of redemption.

{ **Author's Note:** Wow. What a long chapter compared to the last one. Thanks to seyaryminamoto for leaving a response to the first chapter. You made my morning because I look up to your writing, and I honestly did not deserve your praise. Before you guys find a method to track my IP Address and strangle me for putting something in the Sokkla tag that is not necessarily Sokkla, I – spoiler alert – will be continuing this plotline in future chapters. Anyway, I thought both Azula and Sokka were OOC in this chapter, but I argued why they necessarily are not OOC in this scenario. Let me know if I'm talking out of my ass or not. Thanks! }


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